10 Free Tech Programs for High School Students
If you’re a high-achieving high school student looking to gain valuable experience in technology and related fields, then consider applying for a summer school, research opportunity, or an internship! Programs like these can give you real-world experience in how the tech industry operates, expose you to cutting-edge research, and give you deeper knowledge of the subject. Not to mention, extra-curricular programs are a great way to show you’re passionate about a subject — they demonstrate interest that adds value to your college application.
Here are 10 free tech programs you should consider applying to!
1. Carnegie Mellon’s Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS)
Location: Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA)
Application deadline: March 1, 2024
Program dates: June 22, 2024, to August 3, 2024
Program selectivity: High
Eligibility: Must be at least 16 years old by the program’s start date and a high school junior at the time of application
The SAMS program encourages students from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM, either based on socioeconomic status, students who do not speak English as a first language, are first-generation learners, or from a high school with a low admittance rate of students to STEM programs. The program gives students a deeper knowledge of STEM — especially computer science (CS) and technology — through college-level classes, projects, and mentorship by Carnegie Mellon faculty.
One of the program’s lead lecturers is Shawn Blanton, a professor at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department who holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and CS. The program’s curriculum is split into two parts: the first includes virtual workshops to familiarize students with the coursework, followed by the in-person six-week residential program. Throughout the program, students will work on a research project and present it at a closing symposium.
2. Meta Summer Academy Program
Location: Meta headquarters (Menlo Park, CA)
Application deadline: March 1, 2024
Program dates: June 17, 2024, to July 26, 2024
Program selectivity: High
Eligibility: Must be a current high school sophomore living in East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, North Fair Oaks, or Redwood City
The Meta Summer Academy Program, or the Meta Internship for High School Students, is a six-week, paid internship opportunity for high school students to experience first-hand how a leading social media and tech company operates and introduces them to possible career options in Silicon Valley.
Interns are paired with Meta employees to develop relevant skills, including in AI. Mentors also evaluate interns’ progress during the internship, which factors heavily in whether or not Meta invites students to intern with them again. Interns work 30 hours, five days a week for six weeks. Meta pays interns an undisclosed stipend.
Location: Virtual
Application deadline: Upcoming deadline for the spring - 25 February & for summer - May 12, 2024
Program dates: TBC
Program selectivity: High
Eligibility: High school students and middle school students with a coding background
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard alumni, introduces high school students to foundational concepts in AI, machine, and data science and runs two flagship programs: AI Scholars and the AI Fellowship. While Veritas programs have a cost attached to them, up to 100% financial aid is available!
AI Scholars is a 25-hour boot camp that students can enroll in during the summer or the school year (25 hours over two weeks or spread across 12 weekends). Here, students learn to code Python and dive into topics like neural networks, deep learning, image classification, AI ethics, and more. The AI Fellowship is a 1-1 mentorship program where students, under the guidance of Ph.D. mentors from leading universities, produce a research paper, software/model, app, or presentation. Veritas has a publication team to help students publish their papers in journals. You can see previous cohorts’ work here!
Veritas also offers specialized 10-week programs on how AI is used in medicine and finance! Students must have completed the AI Scholars program or have a background in coding to be eligible.
4. The Microsoft Discovery Program
Location: Microsoft headquarters (Redmond, WA)
Application deadline: Information on the application deadline will be available in February 2024
Program dates: Between July and August 2024
Program selectivity: High
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors who live within 50 miles of Redmond Washington
The Microsoft Discovery Program is a four-week internship for high school students to experience working at one of the world’s largest tech companies. Interns learn from mentors, gain deeper insights into core CS concepts, and see what Microsoft looks for in employees. They also attend workshops, training sessions, and conferences. Moreover, interns are paid $20/hr!
While the program is not for students still in high school, it is a great opportunity and interested high school students should begin preparing their application early. The internship requirements are demanding: students must have completed pre-calculus or a similar course by the start date.
5. The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Summer High School Internship Program
Location: Various NIST laboratories (Boulder, CO, or Gaithersburg, MD)
Application deadline: February 9, 2024
Program dates: June 17, 2024, to August 9, 2024
Program selectivity: High
Eligibility: Must be a high school junior or senior at the time of application
NIST, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, offers this fully-paid eight-week research internship interested in CS and engineering. Successful interns participate in cutting-edge research conducted in NIST labs, working closely with scientists. NIST says it is helpful, though not necessary, that students have a background in Python, physics, electronics, SQL, web development, chemistry, math, or other related courses. Previous projects alumni have been a part of include building wireless robotic arms that work simultaneously and giving electricity back to the grid to create “net-zero” homes.
Note that interns do not receive a stipend for the program.
6. MIT PRIMES
Location: Virtual, with occasional travel to the MIT campus (Cambridge, MA)
Application deadline: November 30, 2024
Program dates: February 1, 2025, to January 15, 2025
Program selectivity: High
Eligibility: All high school students living within the Greater Boston area
MIT PRIMES is a year-long research program where advanced high school students work on either individual or group research projects in mathematics, computer science, or biology and are mentored by MIT graduate or postdoctoral students. Previous years’ tech-related research areas include robotics, AI and machine learning, network security, bioinformatics and biotechnology, and more.
John Kuszmaul, a PRIMES alumnus, created a new way of ordering data to make Ethereum more efficient. The program is highly competitive and, to apply, students must solve a set of questions based on their chosen research interest. You can see previous years’ problem sets here. The program is split into four phases during the year: advanced reading, active research, independent study, and write-up. Students must be able to commit a minimum of 10 hours per week to independent study and research.
7. The Anson L. Clark Scholars Program
Location: Texas Tech University (Lubbock, TX)
Application deadline: February 15, 2024
Program dates: June 16, 2024, to August 1, 2024
Program selectivity: High
Eligibility: Applicants must be at least 17 years old by the program’s start date (they can be either rising high school seniors or have recently graduated high school)
The Clark Scholars Program is a highly selective and prestigious seven-week summer residential program that accepts only 12 students per cohort. Additionally, Texas Tech pays students a $750 stipend at the end of the program. Successful candidates can choose a research area of interest and benefit from one-on-one mentorship by Texas Tech faculty. For technology, Students can choose between the Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering tracks. You can view past scholars’ research projects here.
If you are interested in the program, you should check out this complete guide!
8. The U.S. Navy’s Science and Engineering Apprentice Program (SEAP)
Location: Various U.S. Navy laboratories across the U.S.
Application deadline: November 2024 (expected, for 2025 intake)
Program dates: Summer; exact dates vary by lab
Program selectivity: High
Eligibility: Must be at least 16 years old and a high school student in grades 10, 11, and 12. Graduating seniors can apply
The Department of Navy offers its highly prestigious SEAP internship to exceptional high school students to work in their labs spread across the U.S. Navy scientists mentor interns during the program, where they participate in relevant research and learn more about the technology used by the Navy. Research areas include CS, civil engineering, manufacturing technology, engineering, programming, robotics, and more. What’s more, interns are paid $4,000 (returning interns receive $4,500)!
9. Carnegie Mellon’s AI Scholars Pre-College Program
Location: Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA)
Application deadline: March 1, 2024
Program dates: June 22, 2024, to July 20, 2024
Program selectivity: High
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors. You must be a high school junior when you submit your application
AI Scholars is a four-week residential summer program for rising high school seniors that introduces them to artificial intelligence through group projects, workshops, lectures by industry leaders, and regular classes. No prior CS experience is required. Carnegie Mellon provides an online pre-program Python course for students who do not have a coding background. As an AI Scholar, students cover college-level coursework and attend special seminars to prepare them for the college application process. At the end of the program, students present a capstone project.
10. University of Chicago — Data Science Institute Summer Lab
Location: University of Chicago (Chicago, IL)
Application deadline: January 16, 2024
Program dates: June 10, 2024, to August 5, 2024
Program selectivity: High
Eligibility: High school students living in the Chicago area
The Summer Lab is an eight-week paid research program where high school students are paired with and mentored by the university’s professors, and assist in ongoing research projects. Through the program, students become proficient in research methodologies, practices, and working in groups. At the end of the program, students present the findings of the research conducted and also field questions from professors and peers in a symposium-style setting! Students also receive a $4,800 stipend. Research conducted by past alumni includes understanding hardware failures in AI-driven biomedical applications and how adapting a robot’s “gaze” can humanize them, among other tech-focused research projects.
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